Latest news with #Sindjelic
Observer
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Observer
Serbia protesters accuse police of abuse, warn of 'spiral of violence'
BELGRADE: Serbian anti-government protesters accused police on Tuesday of beating and threatening detained activists, fuelling fears of a spiralling crackdown after a week of violent clashes. Almost daily protests have gripped Serbia since November, sparked by the collapse of a railway station roof that killed 16 people. The tragedy became a symbol of deep-rooted corruption in the Balkan nation, with demands for a transparent investigation morphing into calls for early elections. But in the past week, the mostly peaceful demonstrations have erupted into street violence over several nights, with loyalists of President Aleksandar Vucic attacking protesters. Nikolina Sindjelic, a student activist, said she was dragged along with another student and several other protesters into a government garage in central Belgrade by officers in a special police unit on Thursday night. "The commander of the unit brutally beat both him and me," the 22-year-old political science student said. The Ministry of Internal Affairs "strongly denied" the allegations. It said Sindjelic was arrested for being part of a group that had attacked government buildings and police. "Throughout the entire procedure, no means of coercion, handcuffing, insults, or any form of mistreatment were applied," it said. Hundreds gathered in front of the accused commander's police building in Belgrade on Tuesday to support Sindjelic and decry widespread reports of police brutality. While the protests have so far led to the resignation of the prime minister and the collapse of the government, Vucic has remained defiant. He has repeatedly rejected calls for early elections and recently threatened a "strong response" to the demonstrations. "This is an attempt at a foreign-funded colour revolution, in which no means are spared, and violence is used in a bid to seize power," he said on Monday night. He has frequently decried the movement as a "colour revolution" — a term favoured by the Kremlin and its allies to smear protest movements as illegitimate. — AFP
Metro
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Metro
Woman 'threatened with rape and dragged to basement by police' in Serbia protest
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video After almost a year of relatively peaceful demonstrations, Serbia nears a state of war. Protests by students, teachers, workers and government opposition began last December after 16 people were killed on November 1 when the canopy of the main railway station in Novi Sad collapsed on them. The tragedy was viewed as a consequence of deep-rooted corruption and institutional failure in the Balkan nation, leading to calls for early elections. Since then, the persistent dissent has escalated into the most severe crisis since the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and Aleksandar Vučić came into power. As pressure mounts, Vučić – an authoritarian leader famous in the Balkans for his ties to Vladimir Putin – unleashed his loyalists and riot police on the streets to clash with the protesters. As many as 100 people have been detained over the past week, with many sharing their experiences of abuse of power. Nikolina Sindjelic, a student activist, told AFP she was threatened with rape while in custody. She accused Marko Krichak, the commander of the Unit for the Security of Certain Persons and Facilities (JZO), of sexually and physically abusing her. Sindjelic recalled being dragged along with another student and several other protesters into a government garage in central Belgrade by officers in a special police unit on Thursday night. The 22-year-old said: 'The commander of the unit brutally beat both him and me. 'He called us offensive names, told me I was a w***e and that he would rape me there in front of everyone, that I would regret trying to overthrow the state.' Her story was confirmed by several students who were also detained at the same time. The Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs 'strongly denied' the allegations. It said the student was arrested for being part of a group that had attacked government buildings and police. A statement said: 'Throughout the entire procedure, no means of coercion, handcuffing, insults, or any form of mistreatment were applied.' Sindjelic, who was released with a misdemeanour charge, said she intends to sue over her alleged abuse. Hundreds gathered in front of the accused commander's police building in Belgrade on Tuesday in support of the woman. Protesters carried banners reading, 'Rapists with badges' and 'The system beats us, we defend ourselves'. Andrej Sevo, a 31-year-old protester, said: 'We are now entering a spiral of violence, and I do not see how it can end well if things continue in this way. 'They must decide how to act and calm the situation, rather than simply pouring fuel on the fire by sending in the police, with ever more brutal behaviour.' Aleksandra Krstic, 45, also at the rally, stressed that women are especially vulnerable to police abuse. The political science professor said: 'We have no one to protect us. 'If I go to a protest, I should be able to turn to the police… not be beaten, dragged into some basement of a government building, threatened with rape, and forced to beg them to stop.' Rallies have been held in Belgrade, Valjevo, Novi Sad, Zrenjanin, Prijepolje, Niš, Kragujevac, and other, smaller places across the country, with people gathering in large numbers. On Monday night, Vučić's SNS office in Valjevo had its windows smashed by a passing crowd. Within an hour, the leader stood in front of the shattered glass, flanked by pro-government media and security, to denounce the demonstrators as 'terrorists' – a familiar refrain for him. The 55-year-old warned that 'soon, the citizens will be freed from this terror and evil.' In Valjevo, thousands of people clashed with riot police, pelting them with rocks and glass bottles. More Trending Officers then unleashed multiple rounds of tear gas, striking people with their batons and hurling them to the ground. Similar clashes also took place in Belgrade and the northern city of Novi Sad. In response, Russia's Foreign Ministry has offered its support to the pro-Kremlin, right-wing president. It said in a statement that 'we cannot remain unresponsive to what is happening in brotherly Serbia'. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Nerve-racking moment politician suffers a stroke during live TV interview
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First Post
a day ago
- Politics
- First Post
Serbia unrest deepens as protesters report beatings, threats, and abuse
Serbia's anti-government protests have turned violent, with activists accusing police of brutal assaults and threats. As outrage grows, the EU has urged Serbia to investigate the allegations and respect the right to peaceful assembly. Protesters gather in support of student Nikolina Sindjelic demanding the dismissal of Marko Kricko, commander of the Special Unit for the Protection of Certain Facilities and Persons, as well as his urgent prosecution and sanctioning for the abuse and torture of detainees, in front of a special police unit station in Belgrade. AFP Serbian anti-government protesters accused police on Tuesday of assaulting and threatening detained activists, raising worries of a spiralling crackdown following a week of deadly clashes. Since November, Serbia has seen almost daily protests, precipitated by the collapse of a railway station roof, which killed 16 people. The tragedy became a symbol of deep-seated corruption in the Balkan nation, with demands for a thorough probe giving way to calls for early elections. However, in the last week, the generally peaceful rallies have devolved into street violence over numerous nights, with supporters of President Aleksandar Vucic beating protestors and riot police responding forcibly to the damage of his party headquarters. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD More than 100 protesters have been detained, with one telling AFP they were beaten and threatened with rape while in custody. Nikolina Sindjelic, a student activist, said she was dragged along with another student and several other protesters into a government garage in central Belgrade by officers in a special police unit on Thursday night. 'The commander of the unit brutally beat both him and me,' the 22-year-old political science student said. 'He called us offensive names, told me I was a whore and that he would rape me there in front of everyone, that I would regret trying to overthrow the state.' The Ministry of Internal Affairs 'strongly denied' the allegations. It said Sindjelic was arrested for being part of a group that had attacked government buildings and police. 'Throughout the entire procedure, no means of coercion, handcuffing, insults, or any form of mistreatment were applied,' it said. Sindjelic, who was released with a misdemeanour charge, said she intends to file a lawsuit over her alleged abuse. 'Brutal behaviour' Hundreds gathered in front of the accused commander's police building in Belgrade on Tuesday to support Sindjelic and decry widespread reports of police brutality. Protesters carried banners reading, 'Rapists with badges' and 'The system beats us, we defend ourselves'. 'Unfortunately, we are now entering a spiral of violence, and I do not see how it can end well if things continue in this way,' 31-year-old protester Andrej Sevo said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'They must decide how to act and calm the situation, rather than simply pouring fuel on the fire by sending in the police, with ever more brutal behaviour.' Aleksandra Krstic, 45, also at the rally, said women were especially vulnerable to police abuse. 'We have no one to protect us. If I go to a protest, I should be able to turn to the police… not be beaten, dragged into some basement of a government building, threatened with rape, and forced to beg them to stop,' the political science professor said. 'A bid to seize power' On Monday night, protesters again faced off with riot police after an office of Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party had its windows smashed by a passing crowd. Within an hour, the embattled leader stood in front of the shattered glass, flanked by pro-government media and security, to denounce the anti-graft demonstrators as 'terrorists' – a familiar refrain for the 55-year-old statesman. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We will fight them everywhere, and we will resist them wherever they appear,' he said, after riot police had chased protesters from the area. While the protests have so far led to the resignation of the prime minister and the collapse of the government, Vucic – in power for 13 years – has remained defiant. He has repeatedly rejected calls for early elections and recently threatened a 'strong response' to the demonstrations. 'This is an attempt at a foreign-funded colour revolution, in which no means are spared, and violence is used in a bid to seize power,' he said on Monday night. He has frequently decried the movement as a 'colour revolution' – a term favoured by the Kremlin and its allies to smear protest movements as illegitimate. Russia remains a close Serbian ally despite Belgrade's declared path to the European Union. The EU ambassador to Serbia, Andreas von Beckerath, said he and other diplomats had met with the government to 'discuss the current political situation' in Serbia. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The EU Ambassador underlined the need by all parties to uphold the respect for fundamental rights, including the right for peaceful assembly,' Beckerath said Monday. 'Any suspicion of excessive use of force needs to be duly investigated, including worrying reports about threats and violence against journalists,' he said.
Int'l Business Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Serbia Protesters Accuse Police Of Abuse And Warn Of 'Spiral Of Violence'
Serbian anti-government protesters accused police Tuesday of beating and threatening detained activists, fuelling fears of a spiralling crackdown after a week of violent clashes. Almost daily protests have gripped Serbia since November, sparked by the collapse of a railway station roof that killed 16 people. The tragedy became a symbol of deep-rooted corruption in the Balkan nation, with demands for a transparent investigation morphing into calls for early elections. But in the past week, the mostly peaceful demonstrations have erupted into street violence over several nights, with loyalists of President Aleksandar Vucic attacking protesters and riot police responding forcefully to the destruction of his party offices. More than 100 protesters have been detained, with one telling AFP they were beaten and threatened with rape while in custody. Nikolina Sindjelic, a student activist, said she was dragged along with another student and several other protesters into a government garage in central Belgrade by officers in a special police unit on Thursday night. "The commander of the unit brutally beat both him and me," the 22-year-old political science student said. "He called us offensive names, told me I was a whore and that he would rape me there in front of everyone, that I would regret trying to overthrow the state." The Ministry of Internal Affairs "strongly denied" the allegations. It said Sindjelic was arrested for being part of a group that had attacked government buildings and police. "Throughout the entire procedure, no means of coercion, handcuffing, insults, or any form of mistreatment were applied," it said. Sindjelic, who was released with a misdemeanour charge, said she intends to file a lawsuit over her alleged abuse. Hundreds gathered in front of the accused commander's police building in Belgrade on Tuesday to support Sindjelic and decry widespread reports of police brutality. Protesters carried banners reading, "Rapists with badges" and "The system beats us, we defend ourselves". "Unfortunately, we are now entering a spiral of violence, and I do not see how it can end well if things continue in this way," 31-year-old protester Andrej Sevo said. "They must decide how to act and calm the situation, rather than simply pouring fuel on the fire by sending in the police, with ever more brutal behaviour." Aleksandra Krstic, 45, also at the rally, said women were especially vulnerable to police abuse. "We have no one to protect us. If I go to a protest, I should be able to turn to the police... not be beaten, dragged into some basement of a government building, threatened with rape, and forced to beg them to stop," the political science professor said. On Monday night, protesters again faced off with riot police after an office of Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party had its windows smashed by a passing crowd. Within an hour, the embattled leader stood in front of the shattered glass, flanked by pro-government media and security, to denounce the anti-graft demonstrators as "terrorists" -- a familiar refrain for the 55-year-old statesman. "We will fight them everywhere, and we will resist them wherever they appear," he said, after riot police had chased protesters from the area. While the protests have so far led to the resignation of the prime minister and the collapse of the government, Vucic -- in power for 13 years -- has remained defiant. He has repeatedly rejected calls for early elections and recently threatened a "strong response" to the demonstrations. "This is an attempt at a foreign-funded colour revolution, in which no means are spared, and violence is used in a bid to seize power," he said on Monday night. He has frequently decried the movement as a "colour revolution" -- a term favoured by the Kremlin and its allies to smear protest movements as illegitimate. Russia remains a close Serbian ally despite Belgrade's declared path to the European Union. The EU ambassador to Serbia, Andreas von Beckerath, said he and other diplomats had met with the government to "discuss the current political situation" in Serbia. "The EU Ambassador underlined the need by all parties to uphold the respect for fundamental rights, including the right for peaceful assembly," Beckerath said Monday. "Any suspicion of excessive use of force needs to be duly investigated, including worrying reports about threats and violence against journalists," he said. Student Nikolina Sindjelic (right) is demanding the dismissal of a police commander she alleges beat her and threatened to rape her AFP Serbian riot police during an anti-government protest in Belgrade Monday AFP Serbian riot police have cracking down on anti-government rallies in Belgrade AFP
